Kaplan University
| Type | For-Profit Online University subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Established | 1937 as the American Institute of Commerce |
| President | Dr. Betty Vandenbosch |
|
Academic staff
|
Nearly 3,600 |
| Students | 37,000 online and campus-based students |
| Location | Davenport, Iowa, US (with main administrative building in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) |
| Campus | 14 campuses in Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, and Wisconsin and 1 Kaplan University Learning Center in Maryland |
| Affiliations | Kaplan Higher Education Corporation, Graham Holdings Company |
| Website | kaplan.edu |
 |
|
Kaplan University (KU) is the "doing business as" (DBA) name of the Iowa College Acquisition Corporation, a company that owns and operates non-competitive for-profit colleges. It is owned by Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company.
Kaplan University is predominantly a distance learning institution of higher education that is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Kaplan University was named in honor of Stanley H. Kaplan, who founded Kaplan Test Prep.
The university elected to participate in U.S. News & World Report rankings for Best Online Bachelor programs in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Submissions were evaluated, ranked and published in January of the following year. Kaplan University’s online bachelor’s program ranked #56 in 2014, #76 in 2015, and #137 in 2016.
Kaplan University also elected to participate in 2013 in the best online nursing program. Kaplan’s School of Nursing elected not to participate in subsequent years.
Kaplan University has faced several federal whistle-blower lawsuits whose accusations dovetail with the findings of an undercover federal investigation which revealed high-pressure recruiting and unrealistic salary promises. Kaplan's enrollment has declined from 119,000 to 65,000 amid these controversies.
According to the New York Times, 23% of Kaplan's programs fail the proposed gainful employment regulations, and an additional 10% are close to failing. This means that a significant number of Kaplan graduates are unable to pay back their student loans.
The American Institute of Commerce was established in 1937 before changing its name to Quest College. In November 2000, Quest College's name was changed to Kaplan College after Kaplan, Inc. acquired it with the purchase of Quest Education Corporation.
In September 2004, Kaplan College officially changed its name to Kaplan University after it was granted permission to offer graduate-level degree programs.
The university’s school of nursing was awarded a national professional accreditation for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in April 2006 from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The School of Nursing was granted additional programmatic accreditations from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) in June 2016, including for its doctoral and master’s programs. In addition, other schools have earned programmatic accreditation. For example, Kaplan University’s School of Business was granted accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) in 2013.
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